Costa Rica Adventures

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Marenco

We started our trip at the Marenco Biological Reserve, a six-seater plane ride, a bumpy taxi ride, a speedboat ride, a brief wade in the breakers, and a trudge up mossy stairs from San Jose. Did I mention that we did the last three in a raging rainstorm?

We had our own little cabin next to a path
leading into the jungle. From our porch we could watch
toucans and parrots during the day and hear the
howler monkeys moving through the jungle at night.		 Porch of our cabin at Marenco Biological Reserve
Deborah, gum boots on and umbrella in hand,
is ready for a trek down the jungle path.		 Deborah at the entrance to the Rainforest Trail
Guided walks introduced us to the flora and fauna, Walking tour heads into the jungle
from tiny frogs Tiny golden frog
and tropical blooms Close-up of a flower
to the elusive (can you say) three-toed tree sloth.There's a sloth hanging somewhere in this tree
We managed to catch a little beach time in between
torrential rains.		 Jim's turn in the hammock
Deborah hanging out in a hammock with her eyepatch shell--Har, Har!
Our reveries were interrupted only by the cries of
brilliantly colored macaws.		 Three macaws perched on the trunk of a palm tree

Aerial Tramway

Back in San Jose for a couple of days before our trip to the north, we took a day excursion to the Rain Forest Aerial Tramway for a bird's eye view of the rain forest.

The rain forest canopy is impressive from the forest floor, Towering moss-covered tree trunk reaching into the rainforest canopy
but even more impressive when you can look down on it. View down on the rainforest canopy from the aerial tramway
Giant ferns take on a new look, Looking down on a giant fern from the aerial tramway
and you can get up close and personal with orchids. A tree branch heavy with orchids
In the Tramway preserve, we saw trees with built-in security, Tree with thorn-encrusted trunk
examined ferns that grow like ladders, Ladder fern
and Deborah got to touch the flower of the hot lips plant. Deborah touches the 'hot lips' flower
This coatimundi performs for the tourists while eating their meals. The most photographed coatimundi in Costa Rica at the Aerial Tramway restaurant

Monteverde

Our last trip was up an incredibly bumpy mountain road to stay at an alpine lodge in Monteverde, a Quaker settlement in the Cloud Forest, near the active Arenal volcano.

The misty realm of the cloud forest is home to a rich
variety of plants, birds, mammals and butterflies.		 Looking up from the floor of the cloud forest
A transparent butterfly perches on a leaf at the Monteverde
Butterfly Gardens.		 Transparent-winged butterfly